Simulated baseball practice apparatus



Nov. 9, 1965 J. L. GALEiNIAK 3,216,723

SIMULATED BASEBALL PRACTICE APPARATUS Filed Aug. 27, 1963 INVENTOR Josz w Z GMEZ/v/AK ATTORNEYS.

United States. Patent 3,216,723 SIMULATED BASEBALL PRACTICE APPARATUS Joseph L. Galezniak, 1104 Newton Ave., West Collingswood, NJ. Filed Aug. 27, 1963, Ser. No. 304,886 1 Claim. (Cl. 273-26) This invention relates to baseball apparatus, and in particular, to a simulated batting practice apparatus for baseball training, practice and amusement.

Because of cost, lack of available space, unavailable playgrounds or baseball parks many people are deprived of batting or practice facilities for the game of baseball.

The present invention enables children, senior citizens, potential athletes and professional participants of the baseball game during travel to exercise batting and pitching practice of the sport in a very small restricted space, such as a room, small back yard and the like, at no cost or a very economical cost, if any. Many people would like to participate more in the baseball game but are prohibited because of the cost and luruxy of a baseball diamond or place to practice the game. Therefore, many people of all ages are denied the privilege of participating in this healthful outdoor game of sports. This apparatus may also be used by handicapped or retarded patients who are physically disabled in a planned rehabilitation training course of occupational therapy. My inventive baseball game apparatus has found great favor with dad, lad, sedentary and retired people alike.

The instant inventive apparatus solves the above problems of human well being and sports by providing a simple, cheap and efl'icient means of building health, character and good citizens of the youth of the country, rebuilding and rehabilitating the physically retarded, and keeping the professional participants of the game in good playing form while traveling and during the inclement weather of the winter season when no practice baseball park is feasible due to the presence of ice or snow in certain regions of the country.

The instant invention consists generally of a base means supporting a suitable pole-like standard, on the upper end of which is mounted a rotary caster-like roller hearing securing means for a suitable length of wire, rope or cable means, the lower end of which is passed through a drilled hole in a soft ball andthe like and secured to a suitable curved and centrally apertured washer means.

It is, therefore, a primary object of this invention to provide a simulated baseball apparatus for batting practice.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a simulated baseball apparatus suitable for pitching control and practice.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simulated baseball apparatus which is durable, easy to make and economical to manufacture.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a simulated baseball apparatus which is suitable for use with all ages of people.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simulated baseball apparatus which is adaptable to softball and baseball alike.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simulated baseball apparatus to enhance and enlarge the sport of baseball practice.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a simulated baseball apparatus to provide for the health, welfare, rehabilitation and well being of young and old peoples alike.

With these and other objects in view, the invention includes certain novel features hereinafter described with reference to the drawings which accompany and form a part of this specification.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a view in elevation of the assembled baseball apparatus;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged part sectional view of the rotary cable supporting bearing means at the top of the pole or standard means to which the captive baseball is secured by a cable means; and

FIGURE 3 is a part sectional view showing the means of securing the captive baseball or softball to the lower end of the cable by means of a washer.

Referring to the drawings in which like parts are represented by like reference numerals, the device as shown in FIGURE 1 consists of a suitable pole or standard means 5 of sufiicient structure to support a desired centrifugal force; pole means 5 being supported upright by base means 6 as shown; a rotary cable support means 7 clamped to the top of standard means 5, cable means 8 secured to rotary support means 7 and a pad or washer means 9 for securing captive ball means 10 to cable means 8.

FIGURE 2 discloses clamping means 91 which secures rotary means 7 to the top of pole means 5, and clamping means 11 which secures cable means 8 to rotary means 7.

Rotary means 7 consists of a shaft means 12 which carries a suitable ring enlargement 13 adapted to snugly fit into aperture 14 in pole means 5; bearing means 15 consisting of roller bearing means 15a in coacting race means 16 and 17, and rotary shank means 18 which fixedly swivels inside hollow shaft means 12 as desired. Shaft means 12 carries integral ball bearing race means 17. Shank means 18 terminates at the upper end in an offset portion 18a containing aperture 19 to receive pin means 20 and carries integral race means 16 as shown. Cable means 8 is placed around pin means 20 and secured by screw means 11a forming part of clamp means 11 as shown. Ring means 13 on shaft means 12 is clamped in the inside aperture 14 of pole means 5 by clamp means 9' and bolt means 9a, as shown.

FIGURE 3 illustrates how the lower end of cable means 8 is passed through aperture 10a in softball means 10 and secured by curved and apertured washer means 9 fixedly secured to cable means 8, by a knot means, or solder means 8a if a wire cable is utilized or other means as desired.

To use the assembled baseball apparatus of FIGURE 1, a prospective pitcher swings or pitches captive ball means 10 towards a prospective batter who strikes at the ball with a ball bat means. If the batter strikes ball means 10 successfully, then ball means 10 on cable means 8 rotates in a generally circular path by rotary bearing means 7 around or about pole means 5 until the prospective pitcher retrieves ball means 10 for another practice pitch to the prospective batter. If there is no prospective pitcher, then a batter may toss the ball up into the air and on the way down the batter will then take a practice strike at ball means 10. If the batter successfully strikes the ball the captive ball 10 will swing by rotary means 7 about pole means 5 until the ball loses its momentum and can be retrieved by the batter for another practice strike at same.

In the practice of the instant invention pole means 5 may be varied in height and cable means 8 varied in length to suit the desired height of a person for which it is intended.

While there has been described what is at present considered to be the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, it is to be understood, that the scope of this invention is not to be k) restricted, except as covered by the following appended claim:

I claim:

A baseball practice device comprising a flexible tubular pole, a base socket adapted to be sung in the ground supporting said pole in vertical position, a ring inserted in the upper hollow end of said pole, a split ring clamp surrounding the exterior of said pole around said ring clamping said ring in position, a lower concave bearing race having a shank inserted in said ring, an upper concave bearing race rotatable on said lower bearing race, bearings between said upper and lower bearing races, a flat bifurcated shank having an upper angularly offset portion secured to said upper bearing race, a pin extending transversely between the bifurcated ends of said offset portion, a cord having a reverted end loop about said pin for partial rotation in a vertical plane, a clamp securing said reverted end to said cord, a ball, and means securing said ball to the other end of said cord.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,017,720 10/35 Lake 27326 2,703,724 3/55 Der Yuen et a1 287-127 2,751,226 6/56 Conway 27326 2,765,170 10/56 Brown 27358 X 2,842,366 7/58 Fant 27358. X 2,884,250 4/59 Patterson 27326 2,976,040 3/61 Bales 27326 DELBERT B. LOWE, Primary Examiner.

RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Examiner. 

